Take My Hand, Let's Go
by Lion Hat
Summary: Ada has seen Jack as her younger brother since he was 11 years old. That means that she'll do anything in her power to always protect him, even if that entails climbing a beanstalk. Heading towards an Elmont and OC bromance.
1. Chapter 1

"Tell me, Jack. When exactly did you outgrow me?"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jack look at me for a long moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you seemed awfully keen on getting rid off me at the house."

He looked away, guiltily, I suspected before turning to the horse to pet it a few times.

"I'm sorry. I just-" He let out a breath and when I turned to him, I saw his shoulders sag. "I'm eighteen, Ada. I don't need you follow me everywhere!"

"Jack, the last time you went to get groceries, you were two hours late. Do you remember why?"

Jack mumbled under his breath.

"I didn't catch that."

"I got stuck." He said with childish spite.

"Yes, you got stuck in a hole in the ground and it took three kind souls to get you out."

"That was a low blow, Ada." He muttered after a long moment of silence

I laughed lightly. Teasing Jack was always my favourite thing to do, whether he was eight or eighteen.

"Yeah, well. You're my little brother, which entitles me to that. It also means that looking out for you is my job."

"I think you pronounced 'being a pain in the neck' wrong." Jack retorted with hint of a smile on his lips.

I gave no hesitation in punching him in the arm.

* * *

The rest of the journey was filled with childish banter and at one point, I managed to get him to piggyback me after he passed a remark about my height. He would never let it go that he was a foot taller than me. When my father took him under his care, he was tiny, barely at my shoulder. And then his growth spurt came and I couldn't even reach his. An entire foot taller than me and he'd never let me live it down.

"Have you gained weight?" Jack asked as he pretended to flex his back.

I gave a look of mock affront.

"Ohhhh, you will pay for that comment." I warned. Jack just laughed at me and continued on with the horse.

I looked around at the crowded street. It had been a while since I'd been here. I usually helped out around the house while Jack went out. Of course, with nothing left but the horse in the household, I hadn't much to do. There was a drought lately and everyone was getting the brunt of it.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard horses. They weren't hard to spot, even in the distance. The king's guards. They sat high upon their horses in their shinning armour. Well maybe not everyone was suffering from the weather's temperament.

"I bet those horses are better fed than us." I commented softly to Jack.

"Well maybe if we were as content with hay, we'd be as well off as they are." He whispered back.

"You've become really bratty, did you know that?" I said with narrowed eyes.

When Jack didn't respond, I followed his eye line. He was looking at a sign advertising a play. It was a story that Jack knew by heart and could probably recite backwards. It was about the legend of King Erik and The Giants. I must have read the book to him more than twenty times. His parents had read it to him too and he seemed to cling to the story as though it was the last remaining connection to them.

"I suppose you'd want to go in?" I asked, jerking my head towards the small tent.

Jack looked from me to the horse to the sign.

"I'll watch the horse. Just don't take too long."

Jack gave me a smile, a smile that seemed to set him back ten years before ducking under the tent. I caught sight of all the children that sat seated in the front and a glimpse off the midgets on stage. I couldn't help but smile. Jack was always such a child. I tied the horse to a post and stroked its mane.

"So, just you and me now" I said to it quietly. "I'm sure we'll find you a good home. I promise, if the buyer looks like he's gonna eat you, we won't let him have you. You're a good boy, you deserve better than that."

I stopped myself.

Talking to a horse is this what my life had come to? Then again, it was far less bratty than Jack. I looked up back to the tent, expecting to see him come out soon with that ridiculous grin on his face. Instead, I saw a cloaked figure back out and Jack's back peeping out slightly.

I frowned. Then again, while I preferred him to stay out of trouble, I could never have too many 'I told you so' moments when it came to him. And then I saw him fall. Almost on instinct I left the horse's side and ducked under the tent. Jack was pulling himself up and I saw three men in front of him looking less than pleased. I pulled out the small knife I always carried with me with one arm and pushed Jack behind me with the other.

"_Back off_." I said, trying to sound as menacing as possible.

Luckily, they did. But then they bowed; and so did everyone else in the tent.

"There's something behind us, isn't there?" Jack leaned in to whisper.

The two of us whipped around and I found a sword at my throat.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept the weapon." The knight said.

My eyes widened. I knew that voice. I followed the length of the sword to see who was at the end and sure enough, it was the leader of the king's knights. What was his name again? It sounded like almond. Belmont was it?

Either way, I sheathed my knife and put my hands up, placating. He looked at me for a moment longer before shifting his sword back slightly and between me and Jack. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. He didn't recognise me.

"Is there something wrong with your knees?" He asked.

My brows drew together and just as I was about to let out a very offended 'excuse me?', I felt Jack pull me down to my knees.

"The Princess." He whispered, jerking his head subtly to the woman on the back of one of the horses. I looked up at her. She was prettier than I imagined. There must be something in the royal blood because the queen was beautiful as well.

I looked at her possibly longer than I should have before I ducked my head like everyone else in the tent. Seemingly satisfied, the knights quickly trotted off. I sprung up as soon as all turned away and ducked my head out of the tent, watching them leave. Then I turned back to Jack, with my arms akimbo.

"I leave you alone for two minutes and you start a fight and meet a princess." I gave him a smug grin. "And you say you don't need me to follow you around everywhere."

Jack looked offended.

"I was protecting her honour!" He insisted as we walked out of the tent.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw the horse and he looked towards it as well.

"Jack, the cart's gone."

"I can see that."

"Jack, you lost the cart."

* * *

I told Jack to continue to try selling the horse while I looked for the cart. We didn't have much time left before we had to start heading back. I started off with high hopes of finding it, it wasn't exactly something someone could just tuck under their robes, but as time went on, the chances of finding it decreased.

I knew it really wasn't Jack's fault. It was just a series of somewhat unfortunate events. If anything, it was probably my fault. I should have stayed with the cart. Jack's a big boy and he probably could have handled himself. Additionally, when I say big I also mean physically. Well, he's not exactly muscled, but he'd fair better in a fight than I would.

Eventually, with my hopes utterly diminished, I gave up. Might as well go help Jack sell the horse. As I walked in the general direction that he had set off in, I heard a commotion off to my left. A monk was trying to escape capture on a horse. Wait. That was _our_ horse!

My heart skipped a beat and I immediately started running, calling for Jack over and over. Finally I saw him near the center of the courtyard. He held a little pouch in his hand and I felt relief flush through my body.

"Is that the payment for the horse?" I asked when I got in front of him.

He hesitated before handing me the pouch. It was awfully light and I started to get worried Jack was given far less than the horse was actually. worth. Pulling the rim of the pouch, I opened it and poured the contents onto my hand.

Well that was certainly less than the horse was worth.

* * *

I told Jack that I'd take responsibility of the loss of the horse and cart but of course, he was Jack. All noble and dumb. Before I could say anything, Jack blurted it out. How he'd lost the cart and the monk took the horse and gave some beans in return.

I couldn't do much but stand aside as my father chewed him out and I hated that. I had always told myself I'd protect him, especially from my father. It wasn't that he was a bad man but he was always jealous of his brother, Jack's father. He had a son that was able to work in the fields and his wife had died at my child-birth, leaving him with just a daughter. Then when his brother died and Jack came under his care, I think he expected too much from a eleven-year-old. Not only that but all the loss in his life had made him bitter.

Either way, that resulted in Jack getting the brunt of his anger. My father thought him to be naïve and incapable and lazy because he'd rather stay in the house to read than go out to the fields. I'd like to think that he still loved Jack, but he found it hard to love him like his own son.

I cringed when he swept the beans off the table before getting up and moving over to the chest of belongings that was left of Jack's parents. Jack protested, but my father didn't care.

"Father.." I began, but he quickly cut me off with a harsh 'Stay out of this, Ada.'

I knew he was angry at me too. I said I'd look after Jack and yet we still came back mostly empty-handed. I watched as he took anything of worth and shoved it into a bag before heading out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

"You shouldn't have done that, Jack." I said softly.

He gave a shrug.

"I couldn't let you take the blame." He replied easily.

"We both know he wouldn't have been as angry had it been me."

Jack took a seat across the table from me. putting the pouch of beans in front of him.

"You can't protect me forever, Ada." He gave me a smile. One full of reassurance.

I let out a sigh.

"Maybe you're right."

* * *

Of course it rained that night.

The world probably wouldn't have accepted any other ending to the day. The sun was setting soon and father still wasn't back. It wasn't overly worrying but worrying enough for me to have gone after him. He was getting old and a torrent of terrible scenarios had played through my head.

By the time I reached the city, it was dark. There were far fewer people than when I had been there that morning. I would have taken this to meant that finding my uncle would be easy but after an hour of searching, there was still no sign of him. That's when it started to rain. Just a little at first and I didn't think much of it but the drops quickly got bigger and more in numbers and I had little choice but to find a little crook at the side of the building to hide under while the rain past. I hoped that Jack was handling the rain okay back in the house, especially with the leaky roof.

I pulled my cloak tighter around myself in a vain attempt to ward of the cold that was already starting to seep into my skin. When I realised the rain didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon, I sat down on the damp floor. It really wasn't my intention to fall asleep but the longer I stayed there, the more I felt my eyes beginning to close. It wouldn't hurt to rest my eyes for a bit, I reasoned. I'll go back to looking for father as soon as the rain lets up.

* * *

When I woke up, it was still dark and I let out a sigh of relief at the fact I hadn't slept for too long. But then I noticed people setting up their carts along the street, something done usually at the break of dawn, I sprung to my feet. I felt guilt wash over me at the thought of leaving Jack alone the entire night. He probably stayed up the whole time too which definitely wasn't going to bode well for him when it came to doing his chores of today. I made it to the center of the market and that when I saw it.

A giant beanstalk, reminiscent of the ones in the stories about the Giants.

Then I realised the site. That was awfully close to our house. I thought back to the beans that Jack had gotten from the horse and the story that the monk had told him. But it couldn't be, those stories, they were just that, stories. Mythical tales that parents just read to their children before bedtime.

But there it was. A beanstalk that reached past the clouds, appearing overnight.

Without another thought of searching for my father, I made for home, pushing past the groups of people who had gathered to gawk at this spectacle. I remembered a shortcut through the forest. Father had always said not to take it, to follow the trail but it was faster.

The journey was half that of when I had gone towards the city and when I neared, I felt my stomach drop. It wasn't near the house, it grew from the exact same spot. That was also shown from the fact that the entire house was nowhere in sight.

This had to be a dream right? Things like this only happen in those books that Jack reads, not in real life.

As I neared, I noticed a motionless body at the base of the beanstalk. I felt my heart constrict, like a python had wrapped itself around it.

"Jack- JACK!"

I broke into a sprint, landing on my knees next to him. My heart was racing as I put my hand over his face, praying to feel his breath. That single moment was possibly the longest one in my life.

When I felt a small puff oh my hand, I let out a breath and my eyes slipped closed. Thank god. Thank whatever entity existed that was protecting this child over all these years.

I leaned back for a moment, letting myself gather my thoughts and to just breathe. After a few deep breaths, I leaned over Jack again, patting his cheek slightly. I couldn't help but smile when his brows furrowed and his eyes opened slightly before he squeezed them shut again.

"Time to wake up and tell me where our house has gone, Jack."

That made Jack's eyes snap open and he quickly got to his feet. He stopped when he stood up and squinted into the distance.

"I may have just hit my head harder than I thought but it sure looks like there's an army of men heading towards us."

I stood up and too and turned towards the direction of the castle. Apparently, Jack's head was fine because there was in fact an army of men on horses heading towards us.

"Jack, I left you alone for one night."

* * *

Me and Jack didn't know what to do with ourselves.

We would have tried to neaten up the house except that it was no longer here. We also considered hiding or running but we realised that they were obviously here for the giant beanstalk that just spouted out from the ground. Well that was what I thought until Jack said.

"The princess was here last night."

That got my heart racing again.

"And by here you mean-"

"In the house, yes."

"Are you telling me that the princess is in the house that is resting on top of a beanstalk above the clouds, possibly hurt and it's because of your magic beans."

"Well- well, yes." He stuttered. "But there's no way they'll hold me responsible. I mean, I didn't actually do anything wrong."

"Jack, a beanstalk grew up through our house. I'm quite certain that you've done at least _something_ wrong."

He opened his mouth to form a response but snapped it shut when the army of men was in front of us. My eyes widened when I saw who led them. It was the King. The two of us quickly got to our knees and awaited them to address us. We heard the horses come to a stop.

"What are you doing with my daughter's bracelet?" The king asked.

I looked to Jack with wide eyes and only then noticed her bracelet in his hand. Oh, Jack, you blithering idiot. Jack looked up and then at the bracelet that he still clutched. I realise I shouldn't have been surprised when he made the well thought out move to stand up to hand it to the king.

Before he even got to his full height, two guards shoved him back to his knees, and one took the bracelet from his hand.

"Hm?" The King prompted.

"No, I didn't steal it, I promise. She showed up at my house looking for shelter and I was trying to help her, your majesty, and then..." He trailed off.

"And then?"

"Well, then this happened."

I dared to look up and I watched as the King looked to his knights and they exchanged vaguely confused looks. I realised, belatedly that it was the same knight, the one we'd seen the day before. For the life of me I still couldn't seem to remember his name.

"Wait a minute, I remember you two from the market." The knight drawled. "Let him up. You too." He said, jerking his head towards me.

"And where is your house?"

Me and Jacked looked at each other for a moment before he raised an arm, pointing to the top of the beanstalk. He hung his head slightly and I couldn't blame him. Had I not been in the presence of royalty I would have probably turned away and buried my face in my hands.

I watched as all the knights and the King craned their heads upwards, trying to find the top of the beanstalk before realising that it looked as though it didn't end. Then His Majesty turned to the knight beside him.

"Elmont,"

Elmont! Yes! That was his name! Sir Elmont!

"Assemble a team of your best men, men who can climb."

Sir _Elmont_ gave a nod and a clipped, professional, 'Yes, Sire'

Another man slightly off to the side piped up.

"Your Majesty, I would like to accompany."

"With due respect, Lord Roderick, this mission is likely to be extremely arduous, best left to the professionals."

"Your Majesty," Lord Roderick started again. "I would like the chance to prove my worth to my beloved."

I swear I saw Sir Elmont practically roll his eyes. Wow, had I known being a knight allowed me to do that around nobles, I would have chopped my hair off, and learnt how to use a sword.

The King said something in return, but I was too distracted by my father running up to us.

"Ada, Jack! What have you done?!"

I closed my eyes and let out a slightly frustrated sigh. It's good to know our well being came after his house. Though, I must say I wasn't surprised. As soon as the King turned to him, he fell to his knees in respect. Well that wasn't something I saw often.

"Who is this man?" The King asked.

"He's my father." I said.

They turned to me and I immediately regretted my decision to answer that question.

"And who are you?" The knight asked.

"Jack's cousin." I said, trying as best as I could to have confidence in my tone.

"Your Majesty," Bless Jack for speaking up. I didn't do well under scrutiny. "I'd like to volunteer." No, wait, that wasn't something I wanted to hear.

"_Jack_!" I whispered harshly to him. He barely even turned to me before turning back to the King.

"Why don't we bring our wives and lady friends while we're at it!" The King quipped. Well, that was vaguely offensive.

"Let's not be hasty. He was the only one that saw what happened, perhaps he can shed some light on the situation."

"Your Majesty-" The knight started.

"No Elmont, he's right, He might be an asset. Now go, and may God help you bring back my daughter."

I looked from the King to Jack but the only thing I saw on Jack's face was relief. Relief! He was climbing a seemingly never-ending beanstalk and he was _relieved_. If my memory served, he was afraid of heights.

When the King turned to leave, the rest followed but as Sir Elmont turned, I couldn't help but run up to him and grab hold of his arm.

"Please let me come with you." I begged.

"Ada, no!" I felt Jack's hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off.

"Please, you have to bring me with you."

"Miss, I don't think I have to do _anything_. Besides, you'll be a liability on this journey." He said dismissively before leaving. I felt rage well up in me, but not at the knight.

"What are you _thinking_, Jack!" I almost yelled as I turned to him.

He pulled back in shock but then he stood his ground.

"I was _thinking_, that I could be of service to my Kingdom." He said with barely concealed anger.

"By climbing a beanstalk? Jack, do you realise how dangerous this whole thing is?" I said, gesturing to the giant plant.

He let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged. He looked away for a long moment before looking back to me. There was sadness in his eyes.

"You can't protect me forever, Ada." He said before walking off.

* * *

They had me and my father set up in one of the makeshift tents that they had put up. I explained everything to him and his only response was to bury his face in his hands. Then he let out a heavy sigh and placed a hand on mine.

"At least you're safe, Ada." He said with a small smile on his face. I couldn't help but smile back but it quickly fell.

"But, Father, Jack isn't. He may get himself killed!"

"Jack is old enough to know what he's doing, Ada. He'll be fine. You have to stop worrying about him. Besides, what can you do? Follow him up?"

I paused at that. Well why not? Just because I couldn't go with the group of them didn't mean I had to stay here like a useless thing. Father mistook my silence for agreement and he patted my hand twice before he got up.

"I'll go see what I can do to get some food in our stomachs."

With that, he left the tent, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I doubted that they'd climb when the Sun had gone down. When night fell, I could sneak around the guards and start. If I climbed through the night, for the solid eight hours, there was a chance that I could catch up to them. I smiled to myself. This could work.

* * *

Okay so lately, I've been embracing the anonymity of the internet which basically means I can do things like post stories without being afraid people will judge me for it. I've been writing stories for a long, long while now but I've never posted anything or even let anyone read anything because every time I build up the courage, I'll re-read it and think 'No, I can't this isn't presentable.' Sorry- what I'm getting at is that constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

(Also, I know the 'L' in almond is silent and hence no longer rhymes with Elmont, but I figure no one's corrected her so she doesn't know)

(((And I'm really sorry for that chunk I just took from the movie, I hope it wasn't too painful to go through.)))


	2. Chapter 2

_(Can I just start by saying I have no idea what the mechanics or average speed of beanstalk climbing is? Sorry about that. I promise, I tried.)_

* * *

I had to make do with the clothes that I had considering everything I owned was still in that house. However, I could still do with some climbing materials. I took a few stakes and ropes that were used to hold up the tents and offered to help with packing of provisions and serving out food to the knights so that I could nick a little here and there. I still had the small knife that I carried around with me and I figured that would do. However, when I passed in and out of the food preparation tent, I couldn't help but take a knife that lay on the tables. Lastly, I took a knight's pair of gloves. I felt a little bad, but then again I probably needed it more than he did. Well, hopefully.

By the time I'd gathered my stash of things, It was time for them to leave. There were a total of twelve men, including Jack. They were tying a rope around each of their bodies with Sir Elmont right in front, followed by Jack. That made me feel a little better, I guess.

"Jack!" I ran towards him and he smiled when he saw me.

"Ada! I didn't think you'd see me off." He said.

"Had half a mind not to." I told him with a smile of my own.

Then I unfastened the knife from my waist

"Here take this." I said, handing it to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just... make sure you bring it back to me. Alright?"

He looked at me for a moment longer and his face fell slightly. He was a smart kid, I knew he picked up on what I was telling him. He almost looked guilty as he took it.

"Be safe, Jack." I said before wrapping my arms around his waist. He hugged me back almost immediately, as though it was a natural reflex.

"I will, I promise."

When I finally pulled back. I let out a breath and smiled again, trying my best to look reassuring. Then I walked up to Sir Elmont. He was fastening the rope around himself, so I put my hand on his forearm to catch his attention.

"Jack is like a younger brother to me and I have protected him for seven years. I'm _counting on you now_ to look after him." I said in hushed tones.

I was expecting a snide remark but instead he gave me a solemn nod.

"I will do my best, Milady."

I gave him a nod in return before heading off smiling. There's the Knight i shinning armour I knew.

* * *

Anyone who wasn't busy had gathered around the beanstalk to watch the men climb. I took note of their pace. Luckily, the fact that there were twelve men climbing together seemed to slow them down. They couldn't go too fast because they had to keep a steady speed so that all of them would be able to follow.

It was also comforting that they only had nine hours before it was midnight, which is when I was hoping they'd stop. That would give them six hours of rest before they started again. I couldn't help but smile when I realised that this insane idea wasn't so insane after all.

Despite their slower pace, it wasn't long before I had to strain my eyes to see them. One of the King's knights, or probably a general of some sort, judging by the poofy feathers adorning the top of his helmet, took out a telescope when they were no more than dots against the beanstalk. The two of them shared a look that I couldn't quite place before they turned their horses and headed towards the camps. I wondered if the King was as afraid for his daughter as I was for Jack.

After a short while, the rest of the spectators started to leave. Soon, it was just a few guards that stood around. Some of them asked about the Giants, whether they believed the legends to be true. Had anyone asked me that yesterday, I would have laughed at the mere sentiment but as I looked up the beanstalk that stood before me, I really couldn't say.

* * *

Jack had left eight hours ago.

That meant that I had been climbing for about an hour by then. Before I left I checked myself over several times along with the bag that I packed. Luckily, I'd worn a pair of trousers with a pair of sturdy boots when I'd gone to look for my uncle. Although at first I was grateful that I hadn't worn any of my more expensive attire, I quickly remembered that all those clothes were more of less gone along with everything I owned.

I found myself idly wondering what happened to Cat. Jack, being the bleeding heart that he is, brought it home one day a few years back when it was a Kitten. I named it Cat as a temporary solution and we never bothered to think of something better.

Father fell asleep pretty early. I couldn't say I was surprised considering he'd spent the previous night god knows where, selling off my Aunt's possessions. I scribbled down a note for him to find when he woke up that said I went off to the market. I didn't offer any explanation as to why mainly because I couldn't think of one. Either way, it was just meant to buy me more time before anyone realised I was missing.

Sneaking around the guards wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I don't think any of them really took the job of guarding a plant very seriously. They probably assumed that no one would be dumb enough to try to climb it alone anyway.

Oh well, good for me, I guess.

I started from a different point that the group had because there were two guards chatting in front there. I figured it wouldn't matter too much considering the only way this thing could go was up.

It was pure luck that it was a full moon that night, or at least it looked like one. Either way, it shone brightly enough for me to look for parts to hold on to as well as somewhat watch my step. What I didn't need on the other hand, was the heavy rain that made everything slippery. That coupled with the lightning made climbing the beanstalk maybe ten times more terrifying than it already was.

As soon as I had a stable footing somewhere, I took out a pair of stakes from my bag and tested how they felt in my gloved hands. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself for thinking of taking these. Once I had a comfortable grip, I plunged a stake into the beanstalk and used that to pull myself up as well as pushing up with whatever foothold I could get. It took more much more energy but it also sped me up slightly and made it less likely for me to fall.

* * *

I didn't know how long I'd been climbing anymore, but I was pretty certain that it had been at least seven hours. I could no longer see the castle in the distance when I looked down. Instead, all I could see was thick clouds.

Over the horizon, I could see day break. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. The sun peeked over the clouds, but just barely. It cast a narrow beam of orange and yellow on either side and I could begin to see blue in the sky again. The entire sky was a gradient of black to blue to white to yellow then orange. It was almost enough to distract me from the ache that was my entire body and the ridiculously cold temperature. Almost.

It was the hardest thing to do to tear my eyes away from the phenomenon right before me - a once in a life time experience - to continue climbing the beanstalk.

"Well, I guess climbing a beanstalk's a once in a life time experience too." I muttered bitterly.

* * *

I could have cried when I reached the top of the beanstalk. I took a moment to turn around and just look over the skies. The sun had risen and the skies were light blue again. The clouds below looked like snow. Well, strangely lumpy snow, but snow none the less. I wondered if anyone else had ever been this high.

After I was done soaking up the beauty, i turned around and my eyes widened.

There was a huge rock face in front of me. A rock face. In the sky. I craned my neck back but I couldn't see what was above it.

_Giants!_ A small voice in my head supplied.

"I don't believe it." I said to myself.

The stories were true. There was a floating island in the sky where giants supposedly lived. Oh God, that also meant that there'd be a way for them to come down to Earth. That realisation hit me hard and I couldn't help but lean forward with my hands on my knees and spend a few moments breathing.

Eventually, I took a final deep breath and straightened up. I couldn't let myself get frightened now. I climbed past clouds to be here. I was probably the first woman to ever be this high. Except for the Princess, but technically she cheated.

With my resolve renewed, I looked around again and the first thing I saw was my house. It was rather hard to miss considering it was an _entire_ house. Though, I must say it held up pretty well considering it had a giant plant through the middle of it. Well, I guess there was no salvaging the roof now.

* * *

The house was void of any living souls, no Princess, no Cat. I found myself hoping Cat was alright. Then I felt bad for thinking about a cat before the princess. Well there was no way she fell, the King searched the entire grounds around the beanstalk, and if she'd gone down, then I would have probably seen her.

I paled at the remaining option.

She had gone onto the Giant's land. I was hoping that it'd be easy. Go up, meet Jack, go back down. Obviously fate had another plan in mind. I let out a long sigh. Maybe whatever entity that had protected Jack for eighteen years finally got tired.

"Ada!"

I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw Jack at the door way. I couldn't help the wide smile came to my face and without a thought, I launched myself at him. He hugged me tightly and then held me at an arm's length.

"How did you get here?"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Are you really asking that? I flew, Jack. That's how I got here." I couldn't help but quip.

"Jack, did you find the Princess?" I heard from outside.

Then Sir Elmont stepped in, followed by one of the other knights. He stopped as soon as he saw me, almost took a step back into the man behind him.

"What are you doing here." He demanded more than asked.

I couldn't help but turn to Jack and quickly whisper "You see, that's a better question."

"I've come to offer my services, Sir Elmont. I think I've proven that I can handle myself." I said with my tone steady and my back straight. I climbed a beanstalk in the dead of night while torrential rains fell. What else did I have to do?

Sir Elmont didn't look impressed, instead he looked angry. He stalked over to me until he was right in front of me. He wasn't as tall as Jack but was still a great deal taller than me so I tipped my head up slightly.

"You had _no_ authority to come up here! I ought to send you back down right now!" He threatened.

"Why? Because I'm a woman? Do you think me weak, Sir Elmont? I reckon you could use all the help you can get in finding the princess. Besides, I'm not leaving. You can arrest me as soon as we get down but I'm not leaving until this is done."

Sir Elmont took a deep breath before he took a step back. Then he looked to Jack.

"She is _your_ responsibility." He almost growled before turning away and walked out.

"I think that went well, don't you?" I asked as I turned to Jack.

He looked horrified.

* * *

Sir Elmont _brilliantly_ deducted that the Princess had most likely gone up so with little choice, we followed. The fact that the entrance to the steps was shaped like a giant snarling head didn't make going in any less intimidating.

"You shouldn't have come." Jack said as we followed the stream up.

"Sorry, You can't get rid of me that easily."

"I climbed a beanstalk." He pointed out

I let out a small laugh.

"You think a _plant_'s going to stop me?" I asked in faux confidence. Yes. It would have. Out of anything in the world that would keep me from Jack, a giant beanstalk was definitely at the top of the list.

I paused a moment to look at everyone around me. There were six of them.

"You left with twelve men." I stated. I didn't like the implications. Jack looked down a little.

"The rope snapped." He said simply.

I let out a long breath and my eyes slipped closed. Just like that and six men lost their lives. No wonder why Sir Elmont left without another word. He really could use all the help he could get. I didn't pursue it further.

* * *

When we finally reached the top, Sir Elmont was handing out small white bags to the men. When he got to Lord Roderick, he looked at it and frowned.

"Is this _all_ you have?" He asked, clearly malcontent.

Sir Elmont's face hardened for a moment.

"The rations went down with my men." He said steely.

"I've brought some food with me. It's not a lot but it could last us another meal. If we eat sparingly."

He looked at me for a moment before nodding. I could see pain in his eyes that was previously masked in anger. He must have felt terrible. Those were _his_ men that died.

Without another word, Sir Elmont turned to walk deeper into the land. Lacking much thought, I ran up next to him.

"I'm sorry about your men," I said softly. He didn't respond but his jaw tightened slightly.

"And thank you for taking care of Jack. I owe you a great debt." I didn't wait for a response before I stopped and turned back to see that Jack was still at the edge of the cliff.

"Jack! Come on!"

* * *

The Princess turned out to be much smarter than I had initially given her credit for. Sir Elmont had discovered an 'I' carved into a tree and it was easy enough to follow those. Unfortunately, the trail ended when there was a unfinished carving on tree trunk. Figuring she was interrupted, they went out the scope the ground around them, calling for her repeatedly.

Jack, however, stayed within the little cave.

"Do you see something?" I asked, looking around the place myself.

"The branches." He stated.

"What?"

"Look at them," He pointed upwards and I tilted my head back. "Look at how they're broken. Like something reached from above and grabbed her-"

"Something big." I finished.

The closer I got to having proof of giants, the more I felt my heart sink. How are the seven of us supposed to survive against an entire race of giants? It would take them maybe half a minute to eat us. Worse than that, they had the Princess. Who was to say she still lived? What if we were walking into a trap?

I closed my eyes and stopped my thoughts. I was here for Jack. I had to protect him and there was nothing that was going to stop me from doing that.

"What's that?" I asked jerking my head to something that stuck out from all the foliage on the floor next to Jack.

He picked it up and I walked over to him. It was his book. The small pocket-sized book of King Erik and the Giants. Well, that was somewhat ironic.

"I gave this to her." He said before rushing past me and towards the knights.

I looked back up at the broken branches. How big were the Giants that they could simply reach down and grab a person? I shuddered at the thought before quickly following Jack out.

* * *

Elmont decided that we should split up to cover more ground. Personally, I wasn't overly fond of the idea. We didn't have very good odds at seven and that only went down when we separated. However, I appreciated the idea that maybe, by some miracle, we could quickly find the Princess -Isabelle, as Jack called her. I must have missed something. -, get down and cut down the beanstalk before anything worse happened.

"You know, I owe you twice now." I said when I walked up to Elmont. Crawe had taken Jack's attention behind us.

"What do you mean?" He asked without any real interest.

"You helped me once, maybe six years back. You don't remember do you?"

At that, he looked down to me, looking hard at my face. I could see him trying to scour his memory but he came up short.

"No, sorry."

"I don't blame you. Took me a while just to remember your name. I just remembered it sounded like almond."

He frowned slightly.

"Aw- mond." He said.

"What?"

"The 'L' in almond. It's silent." Elmont explained

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

He looked at me, scanning my face again but this time for any hints of jest. I gave him an innocent smile filled with faux curiosity. Then he looked exasperated.

"It just _is_." He said, his tone laced with frustration.

I turned away and laughed. Oh, I was going to have fun with this one.

* * *

"Anyone hungry?" Elmont asked.

After a long trek in pouring rain (I briefly wondered where the rain came from, considering we were _above_ the clouds), we happened upon a stream. Or well, it looked more like a still pool of water. Across that were a bunch of sheep. Normal sized sheep, huh. I thought that they'd maybe be bigger - normal sized for giants.

"You do realise I have some food with me, right?" I said, a hand going to my bag. Crawe walked past me and turned around for a few paces with a wide grin on his face.

"Well, you can never have too much food."

I smiled a little at that. Fair point. I quite liked Crawe. We talked a little on the way here and he was absolutely wonderful company. I thanked him for looking out for Jack on the way and he gave a hearty laugh that I easily fell in love with.

"Just gave him a little tip, that's all." He said before elaborating.

It was a good trick and I couldn't help but laugh when he told me he envisioned cake.

"Tell you what, when we get back down, I'll bake you a cake. It'll be big- or well, at least not small- and it'll be just for you."

He let out a small laugh at that.

"I'll hold you to that, yeah?"

I quickly snapped out of my thoughts when a roped sprang up from beneath the water's surface. A net rose as a huge boulder fell off to one side, trapping Jack and Crawe.

"Jack!"

Without even thinking of checking for more traps I trudged forward through the water. Jack took out my knife and quickly began sawing at the rope net and I did the same with the kitchen knife I had taken.

"Come on, lads, come on!" Crawe urged.

I paused when a few crows flew from the trees and the sheep ran off, like something had frightened them. This trap definitely wasn't set by the sheep and whatever did set it was coming to collect its prize. I began sawing at the net quicker and harder. I wasn't too keen on my reality shattering around me just yet.

Finally, Crawe fell through the net into the water. Jack on the other hand, was still stuck.

"I can't believe you're stuck in a net!" I half laughed, trying more than anything to push back the fear felt like it was rising up my throat. Then we heard a snap from the forest.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

Instead of giving an answer, I cut at the final fiber of rope that held him up and he fell into the pond as well, or rather onto me. The two of us took a while sorting ourselves out and by the time we had, Crawe and Elmont were nowhere in sight.

We sat there for a long moment. I was stricken with fear but I felt like Jack held more of wonderment for what was going to come out from the woods. I couldn't find myself to be surprised when a giant leg stepped out from it. On impulse, I lay back beneath the water surface and pulled Jack with me.

I had never been so afraid as when the Giant stepped into the pond. It was much too close for my liking and I swear I could have felt the ground rumble beneath me. My heart stopped when the Giant stood over us. Then through some stoke of luck, the Giant went past us without any hesitation.

Unable to hold our breath any longer, me and Jack sat up from the water. We turned to where the giant had gone only to see that our 'stroke of luck' turned out to be Crawe. I don't know if it was through smell or pure misfortune, but the Giant had plucked the tree he hid behind effortlessly. Crawe looked terrified and it took all my strength not to get up and go after him.

I wouldn't be any use to them caught anyway. Then again, I wondered if I was confusing my cowardice for forethought. Elmont, however, ran out from behind the rock he was hiding from with his sword drawn. I reached out to pull him back but he was out of my reach.

The two of us watched helplessly as Elmont ineffectively stuck his sword into its thick skin and that got him flung back to the rock face, knocking him out.

Jack pulled me back under the second time the Giant passed us with Elmont and Crawe hanging from his hands.

So that's what it felt like to have your entire reality, everything that you thought you knew, shatter around you.

* * *

I'm sorry this chapter took so long! I was having trouble trying to find the balance where I follow the original story but not so much that it's essentially the movie in words, and diverge from it while maintaining the same string of events. I don't even know if I found it ugh.

Also, thank you so much for all the reviews, favs and follows! I didn't expect to get that much of a response :) I'm so glad that you guys like Ada, I hope I can continue to make her a likable character.

(Ada deals with the existence of Giants the same way I deal with character deaths, refuse it until I actually see it myself even if there are already tons of indicators.)


	3. Chapter 3

We made an unsaid decision to follow the Giant. That turned out to be much harder than it sounded considering that the Giant had a stride of at least ten meters. If I didn't have all the fear coursing through my body, I would have probably fallen behind fairly quickly. The uneven forest floors didn't make it any easier.

Eventually we came to a clearing and my, was there a sight to behold. The Giants actually had a place a living - or well, at least congregating. Notches and caves were carved into the rock faces with enough wear and weather to make it look as though it was formed naturally. I was vaguely reminded of ant tunnels except well, these were the exact opposite of ants. Gi-ants. In the middle of the grounds there were also towers made from stone. I couldn't say what I had actually expected but I think my assumption was more along the lines of the giants living under rocks or on the forest floor.

However, judging from the two giant head sculptures that flanked the opening to the clearing, and the stone city that stood before - waterfall included - they were probably more advanced than that. Who knew.

"Where'd he go?" I asked.

The giant we were following was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't believe we lost an entire Giant. Who loses an _entire Giant_? Well the same people that lost a cart apparently.

"There!" Jack pointed towards one of the towers that stood across a bridge. All the Giants seemed to be going that way. Whenever we got lost I remember my father always saying to just 'follow the crowds.' so that was exactly what we did.

"Won't they see us?" I whispered and we snuck towards the bridge. It was long and left us completely bare.

"Well, we can't just wait here." Without another word of discussion, Jack bolted forward and I had little choice but to follow.

No wonder why he got into so much trouble. He just bolts for things. No plan, no forethought, just. Bolts.

Somehow, we made it to the other end without being seen and we managed to hide behind a wall. Or something big at least. I saw a little opening to my side, no more than a crack for the Giants but definitely big enough for me and Jack to squeeze through. When we heard Giants approaching I took Jack's hand and pulled him along and we ducked under the crack.

Something jingled and Jack bent down to it up. It was a little egg-shaped ornament. Then I looked up and my eyes widened.

"Jack..."

Gold. An entire room full of gold treasures. It was all just left there to gather dust. I couldn't resist laying my hand on the cool metal and I let my eyes slip closed as I relished the feeling. We could buy a new house with all of this. We could buy an entire _castle_. I picked up a gold necklace. The weight felt so unfamiliar in my hands. I don't think I'd ever held gold of such quantity before.

"Ada, we have to go."

I looked to Jack and back at the gold. We couldn't just _leave_. There was a fortune right in front of us, begging to be taken. How could we just walk away from all that. I felt Jack take my hand and pull me away.

"We have to save Isabelle and Elmont." He reminded.

I spared one last longing look at all the treasures then I tucked the necklace into my pocket.

"Why do you call the Princess 'Isabelle'?" I asked, diverting my attention from the abandoned riches.

He flushed a little.

"She told me to, when she'd come to the house."

"You like her don't you? I hope you didn't climb up to steal her heart. She has a fiance. Also, she's a Princess."

It would be a terrible fate if he fell in love with her. He'd have to watch as she was married off to Lord Roderick, a man she didn't seem to even like and chances were that Jack would never see her again. It would be a painful thing to see and especially for such a wide-eyed optimist like Jack.

"I know." He whispered, his shoulders sagging a little. I quickly felt bad.

"Do you think that means I'd get to call her Isabelle too, then? Or is that just allowed for nice young boys with a big heart?"

Jack gave me a sidelong glance and I saw a smile.

"Did you just give me a compliment?"

"Don't let it go to your head, you're still a brat."

* * *

It took longer than anticipated but we eventually found our way out of the winding tunnels only to be met with a catacomb. Well, close enough. An upside catacomb.

"I hate this. We're going to get lost and starve and die." I grumbled.

Almost as though just to prove me wrong, we heard yelling. It wasn't hard to spot the Giant that held a cage that contained both the Princess as well as Elmont. How did we get so lucky. How is it that Jack has this sort of luck and yet manages to do things like get stuck in holes.

I took a moment to thank the entity that probably spent every minute of every day looking after Jack.

"Come on." He called, walking down the path towards the notch the Giant had ducked into.

Sneaking around is much easier when you're the equivalent size of a mouse. It was fairly simple for me and Jack to navigate through the kitchen unnoticed by the Giant. The Princess of the other hand noticed us from her cage.

"Jack!" She let out, keeping her voice low.

I could see it in Jack's eyes when he put his finger to his lips, a sort of affection that was mixed in with the relief. What was worse was that I saw the same look in the Princess' eyes as well. Had this been in any other situation, I would have pursued it further but we had more pressing matters to attend to. For example, that Elmont was stripped of his armour, as evidenced by the pile of metal that was discarded on the floor.

As soon as the Giant turned, we climbed up a slope to the top of the table to the cage the Princess was held in.

"You came!" She breathed.

I watched as they moved together, as though attached by a string that didn't allow them to be too far apart. As they talked, it became abundantly clear that they liked each other and that gave me a sinking feeling.

"Go help Elmont." The princess whispered.

We looked to the center of the table. Where Elmont was wrapped in pastry and covered in flour. Had the situation been less dire I may have doubled over in hysterics. However, being as it was, I stifled a laugh. But then I looked around again. We were short of a knight. I didn't like the possibilities that flitted through my mind so I tried to shake it off and concentrated on the task at hand.

Jack left to get Elmont out while I stayed with the Princess, trying to get her cage open.

"It's an honour to meet you, Princess. I'm Jack's cousin, Ada. It's a shame we have to meet in such circumstances." I rambled as I pulled on the giant screw.

"Please, call me Isabelle."

Well, I guess Isabelle _isn't_ reserved specifically for boys that she fancied.

"Thank you for coming." She added.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't have much weightage in my motivation to risk my life. I gave her a smile instead.

"Hide!" She quickly whispered.

I turned and sure enough the Giant was returning to the table. With little choice, I went back the way I had come, ducking behind the edge of the table. The Giant took the tray that Elmont lay on and carried him over to an oven. I heard a cry from the Princess.

"Ada, please, help him." She pleaded quietly.

I nodded before I peeked over the table to see Jack. When I caught his eye, I mouthed for him to stay with the Princess and he nodded as well. Then I made my way back down, quickly moving across the floor to the oven. Thankfully, the oven was low enough for me to quite easily climb into.

Once I got onto the tray, I saw a very surprised Elmont looked at me. I smiled and made my way over next to him, sawing away at the pastry as he did the same with the knife Jack presumably handed him.  
"I was making fun of Jack for getting stuck in the net earlier." I started. "And here we are with you rolled up in pastry."

Before he could respond, we heard Isabelle scream.

"Hurry! Hurry up!" Elmont urged.

I sawed at the dough as quickly as I can before quickly unrolling it and pulling him up. The two of us got out of the oven just in time to see Jack impale a knife into the Giant's neck.

"Oh god." I muttered.

I watched in horror as the Giant stumbled around, screaming and grasping at his back. Jack, Jack, Jack, you blithering _idiot_! Elmont pulled me back to narrowly avoid the falling kitchen utensils from falling on me, though it was hard to register anything other than the fact that Jack was in _mortal danger_. With one unlucky step, the Giant fell back against the wall and I felt my heart completely stop.

"JACK!"

I made a move to run towards him but Elmont still had my arm in his grip which in hindsight was probably a good thing considering the Giant would have crushed me when it fell forward.

Somehow, through dumb luck or some miracle, Jack was still hanging on to the hilt of the knife. Shaken, definitely, but still very alive. I pulled out of the grip on my arm and pulled him into a tight hug without even thinking about it. My arms wrapped around his neck, forcing him to bend down to accommodate me. God, I hadn't hugged him like this in years.

Then I pulled back and punched him in the shoulder.

"If -rather- _when_ I die of a heart attack, I want you to know that it'll probably be your fault." I informed.

Jack gave me a lopsided smile but seemed too winded to actually form a response.

Then Elmont stepped up next to me. Jack and him exchanged a long look. My brother looked as though he was afraid of how Elmont was going to react. But then the Knight cracked a smile.

"Well _done_, Jack! Well done!" He praised as he gave a brief handshake.

Jack looked absolutely relieved at the approval. He always seemed to expect a scolding, though I couldn't blame him. No matter what he did it was never good enough for father.

Elmont handed him back my knife and he took it with a quick thanks before tucking it back into its sleeve.

"We know the way out of here." Jack said, triumphant and I hated to steal his moment.

"Where's Crawe?" I asked quickly.

My gaze went from the Princess who looked away then to Elmont. He averted his gaze for a moment before meeting my eye and shaking his head.

I suddenly felt like throwing up

* * *

Once we had gotten out of the Giant's town, we mostly traced out footsteps back to where we had come from. Jack mainly led the way. He always had an innate sense of direction. I, on the other hand, had to follow a crudely drawn map the first three times I had gone into the market. That was something Jack didn't need to know.

We stopped for a quick break when we decided we were far enough from the town. Instead of elation at our escape, however, the four of us shared a look of loss and a long moment of silence for Crawe.  
Though none of us had much of an appetite, I still forced a little food into their hands. Once they were done, Jack said something about looking for some Yarrow for the scratch on The Princess' arm before taking off. She followed. I had half a mind to follow them as well.

"Have you seen Lord Roderick?" I asked after they left.

Elmont's jaw tightened, and I saw his hands clench slightly.

"He betrayed us." He stated and it was hard to keep the shock from my face. "It seems it was his plan all this time. He'd brought the crown up with him and he plans to use his control of the Giants to destroy Cloister and then the nearby kingdoms."

I wrapped my arms around myself, presumably a subconscious effort to subdue the chills I felt from that information. Two days ago, I didn't believe in Giants and yet now it was a real possibility that they were coming to Earth to destroy my home and every other kingdom they'd come across.

"Do you have a plan?" I asked.

Elmont rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, not a very good one."

* * *

We decided that Crawe should have a grave - even if there was nothing to bury. Elmont built a crude cross with some branches he could find and placed it at a clearing that gave a stunning overlook over the land.

I sat a distance behind him

This was something private and while I liked Crawe, I couldn't imagine the pain that Elmont had felt. They were friends for over a decade as Crawe had told me. That was a friendship that you couldn't replace. It was something that you thought you'd have forever.

I looked over at Jack. They were friends longer than I've been taking care of him and I knew that losing him would absolutely crush me. Elmont however, he was putting on a brave face. He was in charge of us and he didn't have time to properly mourn his loss. My heart went out to him but still I kept my distance.

Eventually, Elmont stood up, straightened his back and headed towards Jack and Isabelle with me close behind.

"So, which way now, Jack?"

"Follow the water. It will lead us to the edge."

* * *

It didn't take too long before we reached the edge but there was a small problem in the form of a Giant. It was sleeping right where the beanstalk grew. The four of us hid behind a rock.

"Roderick's handy work no doubt." Elmont seethed.

There was a moment of silence that none of us knew how to fill. We didn't come this far to be stopped so close to the end.

"I've got an idea." Jack pipped up.

"What?"

"I'm going to wake a sleeping Giant." He said quickly before running off towards the woods.

"Well, that doesn't sound like a good idea." Elmont commented.

* * *

"This can't work."

I watched from behind the rock as Jack and Elmont advanced towards the Giant. Jack held a bee hive at the end of a stick. Elmont was right, _absolutely nothing_ about this was even a semblance of a good idea. Throwing caution into the wind and maybe running past the Giant quietly would have probably been a better idea.

Instead, somehow Jack concocted the plan to drop a beehive into the Giant's helmet. I honestly have no idea how he thought this up.

"You don't trust Jack?" The Princess asked.

"It's a funny thing between the two of us, you see. I'd trust him with my life but I wouldn't trust him to go to town alone." I explained offhandedly.

"He's far more capable than you seem to give him credit for." She pointed out.

I spared her a glance. Oh, she was definitely sweet on him too. There was no way this wasn't going to end in heartbreak for the two of them.

"I know but... He's my little brother - or at least, that's what he is to me. He'll never be capable enough for me to stop looking over his shoulder."

I saw her smile from the corner of my eye.

"Elmont sees me the same way, I suppose."

Before I could respond, we saw the Giant move and we instinctively ducked further behind the rock. Luckily, it was just a flinch in its sleep and Jack and Elmont continued to advance towards it.

Once Elmont stood over the Giant's helmet, we watched as he let his hands hover for a moment before pulling it back half way, just enough for Jack to drop the bee hive into. Once it was dropped in, Elmont pushed it back and the two ran back towards the rock.

"The moment he clears, we make a run for it." Jack reminded.

We all got ready to bolt but as moments passed, the Giant still snored away. We sat back slightly on our heels and Jack shared a look with Elmont.

"AURGHHH!"

The four of us startled back slightly as the Giant jumped up to its feet. It stumbled around and slapped at the helmet a few times ineffectively before it fell forward where it pulled at the helmet as it got up again, muttering something I couldn't quite make out.

Finally it pulled off its helmet and I couldn't help but crack a smile at the big poofy hair that was revealed. Then I held my breath when the bees dispersed from it but through pure luck, one must have continued to buzz around his face, causing him to lean back and fall off the edge of the cliff.

There was a moment of disbelief before we all burst into laughter and got up from our crouched positions. I couldn't help but punch Elmont's arm in elation and he didn't seem to mind. Then I saw his smile fade as his eyes trailed behind me. I turned around to see Jack and the Princess hugging and I felt my smile diminish as well.

They pulled away and Jack glanced from me to The Princess a few times. I had a feeling he knew exactly what I was thinking.

"Right! Let's go." He said before heading off. The Princess walked past the both of us to follow.

Before Elmont went as well, I grabbed his arm.

"You're planning on staying here, aren't you?"

He looked away then to me and the he nodded.

"I'm staying with you."

"What? Ada, no!"

"Look, I'm not letting you do this alone, alright? You're gonna need all the help you can get."

"I can do this on my own. You need to be with Jack. Isn't that what you came all the way up here for? To protect him?"

"That's exactly what I'm doing. If we get the crown from Roderick, he'll be safe." I let go of his arm and took a step back. "I'm sorry, but you're not getting rid of me. The only way I'm going back to Earth is if you throw me and I think that's slightly counter productive, don't you?"

He let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged slightly when he realised he had no say in my decision.

* * *

We ran up to the edge where Jack and The Princess had been waiting for us.

"Come on, I'd rather get off this place sooner than later." Jack said.

He was smiling and a little voice in the back of my head told me that this may be the last time I'd see his smile.

"You two go, we'll be down as soon as we can." He said.

I saw Jack's smile quickly disappear.

"No, we go down _together_." The Princess insisted.

"We're not going anywhere without the crown."

"But that's not the mission! Find the Princess and bring her home."

Jack's eyes shifted from me to Elmont and I felt a bit like I was betraying him.

"Then you complete the mission. Get her to her father and leave Roderick to me- us." His words were getting more rushed the longer they talked. Then he lowered his voice and leaned closer to Jack slightly before he could argue further.

"You ever kill a man?"

Jack faltered then he looked towards me.

"Ada, you can't stay here."

"Jack..."

"You came here to keep me safe right? Then come back down with us!"

"Jack, I've made my decision. I'm staying."

"But-"

"I'm sorry, I have to help Elmont and you need to go down with the Princess, where it's the safest. I promise I'll meet you there alright? I'll be right behind you."

I remember telling myself years ago that I would never lie to Jack about anything that really mattered but I made an exception this one time. I could feel tears prickling at my eyes as I pulled him in for a hug. We stayed like that for longer than any other time but when we parted it was still too soon. Jack pulled the knife from the belt and handed me back my knife.

"I've grown quite fond of this knife. Make sure you bring it back, okay?"

I let out a small laugh. It was typical of Jack to claim my things as his. I don't think I was ever so eager to let him have it.

"I will."

I took the knife in my hands and gave him one last hug.

Then I moved over to The Princess where I gave her a smile before wrapping my arms around her as well.

"Please don't break Jack's heart." I muttered into her ear.

When I pulled back, she gave a quick nod. I had a feeling that this was something that she had no control over but I really had no moral high ground to accuse her of making promises she couldn't keep.

From my side I heard Elmont talking to pulled an emblem off his cuff and handed it to Jack.

"Thank you, for saving my life."

I glanced down at it and it was a badge that only the Knights of Cloister had the privilege to wear.

"You're one of us now."

Elmont gave Jack a pat on the arm before he turned to the Princess. Before he could say anything, she pulled him into an embrace.

"Just come back to us, okay?"

"I will."

With that he began to usher the two of them towards the beanstalk.

"Go now. Go."

Both of them looked back at us one last time and I gave Jack what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"It's not too late for you to go with them." Elmont said when we could no longer see them.

I looked up at him and gave a half-smile.

"Sorry, can't get rid off me that easily."

* * *

So, it turns out I'm bad at frequent updates. Gosh, I'm so sorry! Well, that shouldn't be a problem much longer because if all goes according to plan, I have one more chapter before I'm done :) This will probably be the first multichapter story I finish. Whoo! Thank you for all the reviews and favs and follows that kept me going :)

I've been juggling the idea of having a mini series full of snippets revolving around Ada's shenanigans around the castle. Considering, her brother (in bond) is the king, and the closest thing she has to a friend is the Captain of the Guards and has duties, there isn't much more she can do than to walk around and butt into people's lives. Mostly Elmont's. (Her father will be a bit of a plothole to be honest. He'd presumably be sitting around, counting gold in his new house.) Anyway, any interest?

Also, in regards to Druid Archer's question about Elmont and Ada's relationship: I'm trying to establish a sort of mutual respect between the two of them. As I've mentioned previously in the story, Ada has had previous contact with Elmont and she has a pretty definite impression of him - the honorable knight - but Elmont on the other hand saw her as a liability. However, throughout this story, I'm trying to change his perspective to see her as an equal instead and from there I hope to grow their relationship into a bromance. No romance, sorry. I just don't see them getting together. Elmont doesn't see her as a romantic partner and she doesn't present herself as one. They're just not interested in each other at all. Also, Elmont needs a buddy because all his friends are dEAD. Fun fact, mainly because I don't know any other way to work in this piece of information, Ada's 22 and I place Elmont at about 35. This has nothing to do with their relationship really.

(Ada's bad at making people feel better, but Jack recognises her efforts - in reference to her giving him a half-hearted semi compliment)

(Yes, I stole that Gi-ants thing from Phineas and Ferb. NO SHAMEEEE. Okay maybe a little but it's a fantastic cartoon.)

(Sorry for the long comment)


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